Ducks Defenseman “Shocked” by Contract Offer, Which Answers Important Question

The Anaheim Ducks offered a defenseman with 14 NHL games of experience a $7.2 million per season contract over six seasons. It’s a huge bet that the organization is making on an unproven player. The bet is so big, even the player who got the deal, Tristan Luneau, was shocked.

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Luneau’s agent, Jonathan Lachance, told RG.org: “We got a phone call from Pat Verbeek sometime in mid-August where he asked us if we’d be open to talking extension.” The answer was obviously yes, especially given that Luneau has developed within the Ducks system and with Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and others.

But, the contract the Ducks worked out as part of their projection was way beyond what Luneau and Lachance were expecting.

“He was in shock when we told him about the contract, thought it was impossible that he got that deal, which shows you how humble he is as a person,” Lachance said. It also shows you how much the Ducks might have mismanaged this situation.

Understandably, Verbeek wanted to get ahead of the situation. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Carlsson and Gauthier to happen here too. That said, it appears Verbeek negotiated against himself. Out of concern that this was a player who could cost more if he had a strong season, it sounds like Verbeek offered more than he had to in order the get the defenseman signed.

“This is a kid that has lived some serious adversity in his young career and getting that kind of security and commitment from the Ducks was a very proud moment for him,” said Lachance.

“They saw him at camp, and they were impressed with how Tristan looked,” Lachance added. “Based on his last couple of years and where they intend to use him this year, they came to a projection and we worked with that.” That projection was well beyond what anyone expected, including the player. When the news surfaced, the immediate online response was shock. Many who don’t watch the Ducks closely asked, “Who?” That’s how little some fans know of the player. As one might imagine, to give a relative unknown $7.2 million per season was a stretch.

What Do We Know About the Offer From the Ducks?

All anyone knows now is that Luneau had a 52-point AHL rookie season and then a 41-point follow-up campaign. “It’s interesting, because there was no contract comparable really for a player having played so few games and based solely on projections,” Lachance said. “Anaheim wanted to get some term in the deal, which we were willing to discuss, and then we got to the AAV and the deal was done.”

Whether it’s a massive overpay or a good bet will take a few seasons to determine. For now, it looks like Verbeek jumped the gun, and the player and his agent signed as soon as that offer crossed their desk. The question is whether they had to pay that much. It sounds like the answer was no.

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